7 Underrated Houseplants, According to Professional Green Thumbs

The design world was already beginning to embrace houseplants before 2020, but pandemic lockdowns made buying green friends even more desirable. In addition to offering a slew of wellness-related benefits (like purifying the air and helping to lower stress and anxiety), plants make for excellent decorative pieces. With botanicals available at your nearest hardware store and via online resources including The Sill, Bloomscape, and many other similar retailers, it’s never been easier to add a potted beauty (or several) to your client’s space or your own office. We asked plant experts to weigh in on the houseplants that they think deserve a little more love. You can’t go wrong with any of the following.

Aglaonema

“This is one of my favorites for plant styling, as it comes in so many colors and varieties. If you need a plant that’s lush and bushy, Aglaonema (or Chinese evergreen) is the one! It also has become one of my favorites as it’s easy to tell when it needs to be watered, which is great for new plant parents.” —Julia Rago, TorontoPlantGirl

“The Aglaonema ‘silver queen’ is a beautiful larger plant that can easily fit in a smaller space, and is much easier to care for than a bird of paradise, which seems to be the large go-to plant. They can also thrive in a variety of different light conditions and occasionally handle neglect.” —Sanja Todorovic, Birdy’s Plants

Peperomia

“The Peperomia plant family is definitely underrated. While the star is always the watermelon Peperomia, the other varieties are often forgotten. Their foliage comes in different variations, making them exciting to collect. They are also compact and drought resistant which is perfect for the beginner or busy plant parent.” —Gabrielle Thompson, Plant Baby Mama